Physics Unit Plan for SPH4C, unit E. Energy Transformations
1)Context:
Physics is a great subject that generally gets looked over by many students because it has a stigma of being too difficult to understand. One of my main goals for teaching physics would be to somewhat break this stigma and explain physics in a way that interests students and makes them wonder about the world around them. I chose to do this unit plan on energy transformations for two reasons. The first is that I am not completely comfortable with the topic of renewable and non-renewable energy resources. By teaching myself this unit, I now feel much more comfortable to present to a grade 12 class. The second reason is that I think it is very important for students to question these technologies. As students aiming for college courses, they should be versed in energy transformation technology, and renewable resources that will hopefully become more prevalent in the near future. If students can come out of this unit wanting to more than what they have already learned, I feel I have done my job by opening their eyes up to how they can change their world for the future.
2)Curricular Expectations:
E1. Evaluate the impact on society and the environment of energy-transformation technologies, and propose ways to improve the sustainability of one such technology;
E2. Investigate energy transformations and the law of conservation of energy, and solve related problems;
E3. Demonstrate an understanding of diverse forms of energy, energy transformations, and efficiency.
3)Students’ Misconceptions: - Your arm is doing work if you hold a mass without moving it above your head - The terms energy and force are interchangeable - We are running out of energy so it must be being used up (ie energy is not conserved)
4)Safety Concerns:
From labs: - Be sure the springs don’t overstretch - Use clamps to secure apparatus so that they do not fall over when doing experiments - Wear safety goggle - Use caution when dealing with boiling water - Only the teacher should experiment with the incandescent light bulb - Voltmeters and ammeters should be supervised by the teacher - Ensure that the electrical equipment is in good condition and connected correctly - Keep hands away from the rotating shaft when the motor is operating - Stop the motor before the mass reaches the rotating shaft - Careful dealing with the probe trigger when using the cart
5)Students with Exceptional Learning Needs:
Creating accommodations and modifications for an unknown class is difficult but here are some that may help students in your class: - Give students electronic and/or full versions of the ‘incomplete notes’, thinking books and labs given to the other students - For students with anxiety, allow them to choose one student to be placed in groups with as this unit plan involves a lot of pair and group work - Print out a copy of the thinking book for the student every time something is added to it so they have a paper copy to keep in their notes - Make sure the student is well supported during labs and understand what is required during the lab - Introduce student(s) to the BrainPop website so that they may re-watch the videos shown in class if necessary - Students may need to meet with the teacher more than once to check in with the progress of their summative assessment
6)Lesson Sequence:
Lesson Topic
Key Ideas/Concepts
Teaching Strategies
Resources
Assessment
Energy Forms and Transformations (E1.1, E2.1, E3.1, E3.2)
• Define and Identify Forms of energy • Energy transformations that we see in everyday life
• As a minds on, the teacher can show the Honda video on youtube so students and have students explain what types of energy are at work. This will help assess their prior knowledge on the subject. • Students fill out incomplete notes with discussion about forms of energy, showing the brainpop video part way through • Milling to music where students have to find the sequence of energy transformations for everyday examples such as how heat is transformed in a microwave oven. Students present their solution to the class with actions to help solidify what they have learned, class helps to make light of anything they disagree with. Have students post final series of transformations in the class to be displayed throughout the unit. • Tell students some examples of summative assignments they will be working toward with an explanation of forms of energy for the examples • check in with a class thinking book on the computer
• Discussion pertaining to Forms of energy should give the teacher a sufficient idea of student misconceptions • Presentations of transformation diagrams along with listening to group talk helps teacher to assess how students will interpret the summative assignment
Work (E2.1, E2.2, E2.5)
• Define and calculate Work • Calculate Negative work • Understand the work done in Raising Objects • Understanding Zero work • Work and Springs
• As a minds-on, use a brainstorm to have students give examples of ‘work’. Go through and circle the ones that apply to the term ‘work’ in physics. Then ask the class to work in groups to figure out what the similarities and differences are between the circled and non circled ideas. Have students discuss their ideas as a class and make a composite of the right answer based on what they have provided on the board • In pairs, using force arrows cut out of paper and labelled, students will show what forces are at work and how they calculate work when lifting a stack of books from a desk. Have some students explain their reasoning and then take an eyes closed vote followed by explanation • Demonstration of zero work by student at front holding books • Mini lab to determine the spring constants of 3 different springs using a variety of masses • check in with a class thinking book on the computer
• Whiteboards and markers • Force arrows on paper • books • retort stands • clamps • string • 3 springs, different stiffness’s • mass set • table clamp • safety goggles
• The teacher can gage student’s misconceptions from the minds on • Teacher can circulate during activities and note which students are understanding concepts • Teacher can read and assess student’s mini labs
Gravitational Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy (E2.3, E2.5, E3.1)
• Define and calculate Gravitational Potential Energy • Define and calculate Kinetic Energy • Understand Mechanical Energy
• Minds on video of potential energy to get students to see the difference between potential and kinetic energy • Use an incomplete note to get students understanding the calculations involved with gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy • Lab looking at the energy in a spring and determining if a spring is launched upward, is all the elastic potential energy transformed into gravitational potential energy at the top of its flight? • Working in their summative pairs, have students use PEEL procedure G19, Brainstorm to Project about different forms of energy and projects they could do to show these. Remind students that they should think about projects they would be interested in undertaking • check in with a class thinking book on the computer
• http://www.brainpop.com/science/energy/potentialenergy/ • 3 springs, different stiffnesses • ruler • safety goggles • support stand • clamp • table clamp • string • mass set • launch pad • meter stick • PEEL procedure G19, Brainstorm to project, will help student pairs come up with ideas for their summative project
• class participation during incomplete notes will help determine which students are confident in physics • lab can be collected and assessed • The teacher can circulate as students brainstorm to project and help students with their focus
Thermal Energy and Heat (E3.1)
• Differences between thermal energy, heat and temperature • Methods of heat transfer • Conservation of Energy
• Use demos to show the differences between conduction, convection and radiation. Have students write down what they observe and then form a discussion based on these findings. The demos are the following: - Conduction: make an apparatus where a rod of copper and a rod of iron are fused at one end. Immersed the fused end in a pot of boiling water and have students come up and tell the class when they feel the heat. Put one student on each rod - Convection: follow this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xWWowXtuvA&feature=related to make a convection current in a small fish tank - Radiation: place a device such as a dancing flower that uses light energy to dance in an air tight compartment and shine a light on it to show that radiation does not need particles to transfer energy • Introduce the law of conservation of energy. Have students in groups make a placemat within their group where the law is in the middle. Give students 2 minutes to jot down everything they can that pertains to this law, including what has been previously taught in the unit, in their section of the placemat. Students then discuss at their tables what they have come up with and highlight 2 points that relate to physics class to share with the class. • Activity: Design a device using energy transformations. Students use their new knowledge of conservation of energy to look further into their summative project. • check in with a class thinking book on the computer
• copper and iron rods, fused together at one end • pot of water • Bunsen burner • small fish tank • food dye • ice cubes • beakers to hold the ice and boiling water • dancing flower • vacuum sealed device • light source • whiteboards for students • markers and erasers
• The teacher can follow what students have learned about energy transfer by circulating and noting what each group has on their placemat • The teacher can ask students for their contributions to the thinking book from those who have not participated much, perhaps cards with students names on them would work well as then it is random who must respond
Non-renewable and Renewable Energy Resources (E1.2, E2.4, E3.3, E3.4, E3.5)
• Renewable Energy Resources • Non-renewable Energy Resources
• Students will start this unit with an anticipation guide to check their prior knowledge of renewable resources. Students will complete their anticipation guides independently at the beginning and at the end of the section to assess what they have learned. • Students complete a PEEL procedure E14, jigsaw, on the following renewable resources: solar energy, hydraulic energy, wind energy, tidal energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy and nuclear fission. • Students fill in and discuss an incomplete note on non-renewable energy resources. • Students are asked to create a mind map on why they think non-renewable resources are still used so widely if renewable sources exist. Students share their thoughts with a small group of classmates for discussion. • Check in with a class thinking book on the computer.
• The Think Literacy document explains how to use anticipation guides to aid student learning • anticipation guides for students • PEEL procedure E14, Jigsaw, get students working collaboratively for the benefit of their group • information and handouts for student jigsaw • incomplete notes about non-renewable energy sources
• teacher can walk around when students are completing their anticipation guides at the end of the section and collect them to assess what the students have learned • The teacher will circulate as students discuss what they have contributed on their mind map
Power (E2.1)
• Define and Calculate Power
• Each pair meets with the teacher briefly to see how their summative project is coming along. The teacher can take some point form notes of how the students are doing and give students some advice on how they should proceed • BrainPop video helps to show students what they have learned with work and how it relates to power • Students are given a small set of problems and do a think-pair-share with them on power • check in with a class thinking book on the computer • Students are given a worksheet with two questions posed in the manner of PEEL procedure E1, Where and why is it Wrong?, to hand in as a ticket out the door
• The teacher assesses how the ideas for summative projects are coming along by meeting with each pair • The teacher can collect the set of problems from the think-pair-share activity and the Where is it wrong and why activity to assess students grasp of concepts
Efficiency(E2.5, E3.3)
• Define and Calculate Efficiency of systems • Four-Stroke Engines • Two-Stroke Engines • Determine Efficiencies in practise
• The teacher performs a POE about an incandescent light bulb and its efficiency. Use the guidelines in the provided link. It may be a good idea for the teacher to have two bulbs and had the one that is turned on in the water for a while. It may be enough to show students that the water temperature changes. Then explain how to calculate the efficiency afterwards. Students may know the calculations from chemistry but they may not have taken it. • Show students some sample efficiency problems and give out a few students can try on their own. Show students a problem that has them calculate work and then efficiency • Show students videos on two and four stroke engines. Have students work with an elbow partner to come up with as many examples that use one of these engines in one minute. Discuss the results with the class • Use PEEL procedure E10, find the formula, to have students figure out which formulae should be used for each problem. Use a mixture of energy, work, power and efficiency problems. This would work well in pairs. • Have students complete a lab where they determine the efficiencies of an electrical energy transformation and a spring mechanical transformation using eff=Eout/Ein and eff=Pout/Pin. The electrical efficiency can be determined from an electric motor moving a mass and the mechanical efficiency can be determined from a spring driven car (could use Pasco Probe) • check in with a class thinking book on the computer
• The teacher can keep note of those students involved in class discussion. It may be good to use name cards to draw at random to have different students participate in the discussions • Teacher can circulate while students are working at find the formula and provide guidance. • lab can be collected and assessed
Using Energy Efficiently (E1.2, E3.4)
• Compare Efficiencies of systems • Overall Efficiency • Evaluate a Renewable Energy Resource
• Students are given a card with a technology on it. Students are given 5 minutes to try and put themselves in order from least efficient to most efficient. Once students are placed in the right order, the teacher folds the line and has the partners discuss their technology and why they think it has the efficiency rating it does. • Have students take an incomplete note on overall efficiency including calculations. Use everyday examples to help students understand that ‘of’ in math means the product. Include in the incomplete notes some energy flow diagrams so that students can visually see what happens to the energy in the system • Have students complete a mini project in a period in the library about evaluating a renewable energy resource. To have students get very focused on their topic, the teacher could stage a debate where students have to take a pro or con side for a renewable energy resource • check in with a class thinking book on the computer
• Cards with assorted technologies on it. Efficiencies of the technologies must be figured out ahead of time • PEEL procedure A16, incomplete notes
• The teacher can assess whether the class understands concepts during incomplete notes by leading discussions on the subject • Collect information students obtain from their mini project in the library on renewable energy resources
Review and Consolidation
• What projects have been made from energy transformations? • What have students learned/want to learn more about?
• Students present their summative projects to the class along with an explanation of how energy is transformed within the system • Students go through the thinking book with the teacher to be reminded of all the topics covered in the unit. The students each receive a copy of this thinking book they have all contributed to for their notes. Students write at the bottom of the thinking book the best thing they did during the unit, the thing they learned the most from and the thing they would like to learn more on.
• Thinking books for students
• The teacher can assess what students have learned in the unit based on their summative projects • The teacher can also provide students a ticket out of class to see if the thinking book is a positive tool for student learning
7)Please see the summative evaluation for this course by clicking here. Written By Amy Kelland
1) Context:
Physics is a great subject that generally gets looked over by many students because it has a stigma of being too difficult to understand. One of my main goals for teaching physics would be to somewhat break this stigma and explain physics in a way that interests students and makes them wonder about the world around them. I chose to do this unit plan on energy transformations for two reasons. The first is that I am not completely comfortable with the topic of renewable and non-renewable energy resources. By teaching myself this unit, I now feel much more comfortable to present to a grade 12 class. The second reason is that I think it is very important for students to question these technologies. As students aiming for college courses, they should be versed in energy transformation technology, and renewable resources that will hopefully become more prevalent in the near future. If students can come out of this unit wanting to more than what they have already learned, I feel I have done my job by opening their eyes up to how they can change their world for the future.
2) Curricular Expectations:
E1. Evaluate the impact on society and the environment of energy-transformation technologies, and propose ways to improve the sustainability of one such technology;
E2. Investigate energy transformations and the law of conservation of energy, and solve related problems;
E3. Demonstrate an understanding of diverse forms of energy, energy transformations, and efficiency.
3) Students’ Misconceptions:
- Your arm is doing work if you hold a mass without moving it above your head
- The terms energy and force are interchangeable
- We are running out of energy so it must be being used up (ie energy is not conserved)
4) Safety Concerns:
From labs:
- Be sure the springs don’t overstretch
- Use clamps to secure apparatus so that they do not fall over when doing experiments
- Wear safety goggle
- Use caution when dealing with boiling water
- Only the teacher should experiment with the incandescent light bulb
- Voltmeters and ammeters should be supervised by the teacher
- Ensure that the electrical equipment is in good condition and connected correctly
- Keep hands away from the rotating shaft when the motor is operating
- Stop the motor before the mass reaches the rotating shaft
- Careful dealing with the probe trigger when using the cart
5) Students with Exceptional Learning Needs:
Creating accommodations and modifications for an unknown class is difficult but here are some that may help students in your class:
- Give students electronic and/or full versions of the ‘incomplete notes’, thinking books and labs given to the other students
- For students with anxiety, allow them to choose one student to be placed in groups with as this unit plan involves a lot of pair and group work
- Print out a copy of the thinking book for the student every time something is added to it so they have a paper copy to keep in their notes
- Make sure the student is well supported during labs and understand what is required during the lab
- Introduce student(s) to the BrainPop website so that they may re-watch the videos shown in class if necessary
- Students may need to meet with the teacher more than once to check in with the progress of their summative assessment
6) Lesson Sequence:
(E1.1, E2.1, E3.1, E3.2)
• Energy transformations that we see in everyday life
• Students fill out incomplete notes with discussion about forms of energy, showing the brainpop video part way through
• Milling to music where students have to find the sequence of energy transformations for everyday examples such as how heat is transformed in a microwave oven. Students present their solution to the class with actions to help solidify what they have learned, class helps to make light of anything they disagree with. Have students post final series of transformations in the class to be displayed throughout the unit.
• Tell students some examples of summative assignments they will be working toward with an explanation of forms of energy for the examples
• check in with a class thinking book on the computer
• http://www.brainpop.com/science/energy/formsofenergy/
• PEEL procedure A16, Incomplete Notes help students to take notes interspersed with discussion
• Cards with devices that transform heat and the heat cards
• Summative examples
• PEEL procedure F27, Thinking Books will help students work through their daily learning goals
• Presentations of transformation diagrams along with listening to group talk helps teacher to assess how students will interpret the summative assignment
• Calculate Negative work
• Understand the work done in Raising Objects
• Understanding Zero work
• Work and Springs
• In pairs, using force arrows cut out of paper and labelled, students will show what forces are at work and how they calculate work when lifting a stack of books from a desk. Have some students explain their reasoning and then take an eyes closed vote followed by explanation
• Demonstration of zero work by student at front holding books
• Mini lab to determine the spring constants of 3 different springs using a variety of masses
• check in with a class thinking book on the computer
• Force arrows on paper
• books
• retort stands
• clamps
• string
• 3 springs, different stiffness’s
• mass set
• table clamp
• safety goggles
• Teacher can circulate during activities and note which students are understanding concepts
• Teacher can read and assess student’s mini labs
• Define and calculate Kinetic Energy
• Understand Mechanical Energy
• Use an incomplete note to get students understanding the calculations involved with gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy
• Lab looking at the energy in a spring and determining if a spring is launched upward, is all the elastic potential energy transformed into gravitational potential energy at the top of its flight?
• Working in their summative pairs, have students use PEEL procedure G19, Brainstorm to Project about different forms of energy and projects they could do to show these. Remind students that they should think about projects they would be interested in undertaking
• check in with a class thinking book on the computer
• 3 springs, different stiffnesses
• ruler
• safety goggles
• support stand
• clamp
• table clamp
• string
• mass set
• launch pad
• meter stick
• PEEL procedure G19, Brainstorm to project, will help student pairs come up with ideas for their summative project
• lab can be collected and assessed
• The teacher can circulate as students brainstorm to project and help students with their focus
• Methods of heat transfer
• Conservation of Energy
- Conduction: make an apparatus where a rod of copper and a rod of iron are fused at one end. Immersed the fused end in a pot of boiling water and have students come up and tell the class when they feel the heat. Put one student on each rod
- Convection: follow this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xWWowXtuvA&feature=related to make a convection current in a small fish tank
- Radiation: place a device such as a dancing flower that uses light energy to dance in an air tight compartment and shine a light on it to show that radiation does not need particles to transfer energy
• Introduce the law of conservation of energy. Have students in groups make a placemat within their group where the law is in the middle. Give students 2 minutes to jot down everything they can that pertains to this law, including what has been previously taught in the unit, in their section of the placemat. Students then discuss at their tables what they have come up with and highlight 2 points that relate to physics class to share with the class.
• Activity: Design a device using energy transformations. Students use their new knowledge of conservation of energy to look further into their summative project.
• check in with a class thinking book on the computer
• pot of water
• Bunsen burner
• small fish tank
• food dye
• ice cubes
• beakers to hold the ice and boiling water
• dancing flower
• vacuum sealed device
• light source
• whiteboards for students
• markers and erasers
• The teacher can ask students for their contributions to the thinking book from those who have not participated much, perhaps cards with students names on them would work well as then it is random who must respond
• Non-renewable Energy Resources
• Students complete a PEEL procedure E14, jigsaw, on the following renewable resources: solar energy, hydraulic energy, wind energy, tidal energy, biomass energy, geothermal energy and nuclear fission.
• Students fill in and discuss an incomplete note on non-renewable energy resources.
• Students are asked to create a mind map on why they think non-renewable resources are still used so widely if renewable sources exist. Students share their thoughts with a small group of classmates for discussion.
• Check in with a class thinking book on the computer.
• anticipation guides for students
• PEEL procedure E14, Jigsaw, get students working collaboratively for the benefit of their group
• information and handouts for student jigsaw
• incomplete notes about non-renewable energy sources
• The teacher will circulate as students discuss what they have contributed on their mind map
• BrainPop video helps to show students what they have learned with work and how it relates to power
• Students are given a small set of problems and do a think-pair-share with them on power
• check in with a class thinking book on the computer
• Students are given a worksheet with two questions posed in the manner of PEEL procedure E1, Where and why is it Wrong?, to hand in as a ticket out the door
• Small set of power problems
• Where and why is it wrong worksheets
• The teacher can collect the set of problems from the think-pair-share activity and the Where is it wrong and why activity to assess students grasp of concepts
• Four-Stroke Engines
• Two-Stroke Engines
• Determine Efficiencies in practise
• Show students some sample efficiency problems and give out a few students can try on their own. Show students a problem that has them calculate work and then efficiency
• Show students videos on two and four stroke engines. Have students work with an elbow partner to come up with as many examples that use one of these engines in one minute. Discuss the results with the class
• Use PEEL procedure E10, find the formula, to have students figure out which formulae should be used for each problem. Use a mixture of energy, work, power and efficiency problems. This would work well in pairs.
• Have students complete a lab where they determine the efficiencies of an electrical energy transformation and a spring mechanical transformation using eff=Eout/Ein and eff=Pout/Pin. The electrical efficiency can be determined from an electric motor moving a mass and the mechanical efficiency can be determined from a spring driven car (could use Pasco Probe)
• check in with a class thinking book on the computer
• Two incandescent light bulbs
• Two Styrofoam cups filled with room temperature water
• two thermometers
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuCUmQ9FxMU
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y6PS•2j2Ug
• find the formula worksheets
• electric motors
• mass set
• batteries
• voltmeter
• ammeter
• spring loaded cart
• stopwatch
• ruler
• Teacher can circulate while students are working at find the formula and provide guidance.
• lab can be collected and assessed
• Overall Efficiency
• Evaluate a Renewable Energy Resource
• Have students take an incomplete note on overall efficiency including calculations. Use everyday examples to help students understand that ‘of’ in math means the product. Include in the incomplete notes some energy flow diagrams so that students can visually see what happens to the energy in the system
• Have students complete a mini project in a period in the library about evaluating a renewable energy resource. To have students get very focused on their topic, the teacher could stage a debate where students have to take a pro or con side for a renewable energy resource
• check in with a class thinking book on the computer
• PEEL procedure A16, incomplete notes
• Collect information students obtain from their mini project in the library on renewable energy resources
• What have students learned/want to learn more about?
• Students go through the thinking book with the teacher to be reminded of all the topics covered in the unit. The students each receive a copy of this thinking book they have all contributed to for their notes. Students write at the bottom of the thinking book the best thing they did during the unit, the thing they learned the most from and the thing they would like to learn more on.
• The teacher can also provide students a ticket out of class to see if the thinking book is a positive tool for student learning
7) Please see the summative evaluation for this course by clicking here.
Written By Amy Kelland